Giant 35,000-Pound Teddy Bear Coming to New York City

April 5, 2011

Remember your childhood teddy bear? The one you had a truly special friendship with, your very own Mr. Bigglesworth? That guy you dragged to every park, play date, and preschool until he got too dirty and worn out? Your mom then had commit her first truly evil deed as a mother — she had to throw your no-longer-fluffy friend away. But take heart: Your dream art installation is coming to New York! A bronze teddy bear with a bright yellow covering who stands 23 feet tall and weighs 35,000 pounds will be installed in the plaza in front of the Seagram Building on Park Avenue.

The bear will rest on a black bedside lamp that will illuminate him at nighttime. We’re just so excited to hug him already!

The piece was created by Urs Fischer, a Swiss installation artist who has gained fame in contemporary art circles over the past decade by transforming quirky materials like food, mirrors and dirt into carnivalesque art. Mr. Fischer once used pieces of bread to build an Alpine cabin; in another series, he carved wax nudes and placed candles atop their heads so that, if lit, the figures would melt away. Last fall, one of these waxworks, “Untitled (Candle),” sold at Sotheby’s for $1 million.

The bear coming to New York is part of a collection of three bear statues. The one featured above sits on the East Hampton property of Adam Lindemann, a New York entrepreneur. There is also a blue one that was sold to New York hedge-fund manager Steven Cohen.

We hope this installation is part of an emerging trend in the art world. Imagine walking through the streets of Manhattan and seeing each building adorned with a giant memory from your childhood. On behalf of everyone at the Village Voice offices, we call dibs on Mr. Potato Head.